Everyone in China is talking about a South Korean drama- even officials at China's National People Congress. The delegates of the CPPCC spent an entire morning discussing "My Love from the Star"s success amidst their usual legislative issues. Our correspondent U-Jean Jung sat down for an exclusive interview with the show's director Jang Tae-yoo to find out his thoughts on the reasons behind the soap opera's success.  | "My Love from the Star" has so far notched up more than 2.5 billion views online in China alone. |
"My Love from the Star" has so far notched up more than 2.5 billion views online in China alone. A romantic comedy based in Seoul, the soap opera centres around a famous actress and her alien boyfriend who landed on Earth four-hundred-years ago. The show's director Jang Tae-yoo, who has been in the industry for 17 years, thinks female viewers in China may have a strong bond with the main female character, Cheon Song-yi. Jang Tae-yoo, director, said, "I hear women in China are strong-minded compared to neighbouring countries. Cheon Song-yi is very much like that. So I think they are able to relate to her. She's a star but can be very down-to-earth. She gets drunk at a comic book store. She trips over. She falls asleep at someone else's house. These are things that can happen to normal people, but it's fun seeing a top star do that." 
| "My Love from the Star" has so far notched up more than 2.5 billion views online in China alone. |
The Seoul Broadcasting System spent about 30% more than average on this series, not just to cast big names, but also to create scenes showing the alien boyfriend's supernatural powers, including the ability to stop time. "We had to stop snow and rain! So we used the so-called ‘Matrix effect' commonly used in Hollywood. We installed 60 cameras to shoot simultaneously, or ultra-speed cameras to film super slow motion shots, to make it look as if people were standing still," Jang Tae-yoo said. 42-year-old Jang, who swept local drama awards in 2012 for his historical thriller "Deep Rooted Tree", hinted that he is currently in talks with Chinese broadcasters. "If there's a chance, I'd like to go to China- cast Chinese actors, and direct a drama in Chinese,"Jang said. So watch out for the next homegrown soap to hit Chinese screens.
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